Tobacco processing



UNITED T'ES ro'ese'co PROCESSING Sidney Masher, New York, N. Y., assignor to Musher Foundation, Incorporated, New York,

N. Y., a corporation of New York No Dra'win-g. Application October 7, 1939, Serial No. 298,425

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improved methods for the treatment or processing of tobacco inorder to improve its smoking properties by the development of sweet aromas and flavors and by reducing the bitter and objectionable characteristics in the tobacco.

In accordance with this invention, the tobacco preferably in leaf form, is treatedwith a relati've-l'y small proportion of de-oiled sesame seed cake flour, preferably prepared from decorticated and dehulled unroasted sesame by sprayingwith or immersing the tobacco in an aqueous suspension of the deoiled sesame seed cake flour.

The sesame that is employed in accordance with this invention is first decorticated, desirably by a water soaking operation to remove the outer skins, and then dried to under about 29% moisture. The decorticated sesame is then subjected to'an expression as by the use of a cage press preferably until the oil content of the sesame is reduced to approximately 15% or less. It is desirable that the sesame be not heated to any temperature which would impart a roasted flavor or aroma.

Following the expression of the oil contained in the sesame, the sesame press cake may then be finely divided or ground into flour form and desirably to 25 mesh or more. The finer the sesame is ground, the more readily the infusion or transfusion of the desirable substances from the sesame into the tobacco will proceed.

The tobacco leaves may be immersed into an aqueous suspension of the sesame press cake flour containing, for example, from 10% to 50% by weight of the sesame against the weight of the Water and the immersion proceeding for a period of less than about 1 hour and desirably for as little as one-half to 1 minute.

The sesame may also be prepared with water in aqueous suspension and then sprayed on the tobacco leaf by passing the leaves through a chamber in which the spraying takes place.

As little as 0.1% by weight of the sesame may be applied to the tobacco leaf in this manner although as much as 2% may be utilized, based upon the solids weight of the sesame against the weight of the tobacco.

Following the immersion or treatment of the tobacco with the sesame, the tobacco leaves may then be dried as by blowing hot air over them or allowing to stand until dried or by artificially drying under reduced pressure.

The tobacco thus obtained has been found to be much more pleasing from the standpoint of smoking characteristics in that the bitter principl'es of the tobacco no longer predominate and a sweet flavor and aroma not necessaril related to the characteristics of the sesame are imparted to the tobacco. In addition, it has been observed that the tobacco retains its ownno'rmal characte'iis'tics' over longer periods of time and Partibularly after packaging. Apparently the sesameexerts a certain action upon the tobacco by means of which the tobacco is improved in keeping quality'a'nd whereby there are retained in' it its desirable smoking qualities, separate and apart from the additional benefits given to' the tobacc'o'fl'avor and aroma by the sesame treatment.

Where the tobacco is treated with molasses, glycerine, or other material for the purpose, of flavoring, for example, the sesame may be applied to the tobacco by admixture in the molasses or glycerine tanks and applied to the tobacco in the same way as these other ingredient are applied. Then the tobacco may go through the usual drying or other procedures prior to packaging in the normal manner.

Another method of treatment that may be followed is to apply the sesame to the tobacco at the time of or before the curing. In this case the sesame in an aqueous suspension is applied to the tobacco by spraying or immersing procedures and the tobacco is then cured as by the use of air and heat in the normal manner. It is considered preferable, however, for the treatment of the tobacco with the sesame to be carried out following the curing period and during the final processing of the tobacco leaf.

Although the de-oiled sesame cake flour is most desirable for use in accordance with this invention, there may also be employed finely divided unroasted de-oiled peanuts. For example, peanuts may be de-hulled and de-shelled and then de-oiled to a glyceride oil content of less than about 15%, finely ground and while in substantially unroasted form utilized for addition in an aqueous medium to the tobacco in an analagous manner to sesame.

Where desired, the de-oiled seed or nut cake flour may be immersed in water, desirably at a the water insoluble portion of these materials is not added to the tobacco.

Where the water soluble extracts are obtained, they may, where desired, be concentrated, preferably under reduced pressure to over 25% total solids and desirably to as much as 70% total solids and the concentrated extract applied to the tobacco leaves whereby it will not be necessary to subject the tobacco to as thorough a drying process as is required where the unconcentrated water extract is employed.

The tobaccos may be treated either in leaf form or after grinding and such tobaccos may be utilized for cigars or cigarettes or as pipe tobacco.

Modification may be made in the use of water and in the preparation of the water extracts as when alcohol is employed either in combination with or in replacement for water. Among the alcohols that may be utilized for extracting desirable substances from the sesame seed and other seed and cereal materials are included methyl, ethyl, butyl or ropyi alcohol and also mixtures of said alcohols with water. Where mixtures of the alcohols and water are employed, it is desirable to adjust the pH to between approximately 4.5 and 6.9 as where water alone is employed.

Having described my invention, what I claim 1. In the processing of tobacco, the steps of treating the tobacco with a relatively small proportion, less than 2%, of a finely divided, de oiled, unroasted sesame press cake in aqueous suspension and. then drying, whereby said tobacco takes on highly desirable flavor and aromatic characteristics.

2. A tobacco mixture having improved smoking quality and with reduced bitter characteristics, the tobacco of said mixture having a relatively small proportion, less than 2%, of finely divided de-oiled unroasted sesame press cake in aqueous suspension.

3. In the processing of tobacco, the steps of surfacing the tobacco with a relatively small proportion, less than 2%, of a material selected from the de-oiled, unroasted group consisting of sesame and peanuts and their water and alcohol soluble extracts and then drying the to bacco.

4. An improved tobacco having enhanced smoking properties and reduced bitter characteristics, said tobacco having been surfaced with a relatively small proportion, less than 2%, of a non-flavoring material selected from the deoiled, unroasted group consisting of sesame and peanuts and their water and alcohol soluble extracts.

5. In the processing of tobacco, the steps of treating the tobacco with a relatively small proportion, less than 2%, of a finely divided, deoiled, unroasted peanut press cake in aqueous suspension and then drying, whereby said tobacco takes on highly desirable characteristics.

6. A tobacco having improved smoking quality and with reduced bitter characteristics, said tobacco having been combined with a relatively small proportion, less than 2%, of finely divided de-oiled, unroasted peanut press cake in aqueous suspension.

SIDNEY MUSHER. 

